Jones Act Repeal: Support for NYC Council Resolution
SUMMARY
The Puerto Rico Task Force (PRTF) submitted written testimony to the City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations in connection with a public hearing on a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress to repeal the Jones Act. The City Bar supports a permanent exemption from the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, just as the U.S. Virgin Islands has been exempted from that law’s requirements. “Independent studies have indicated that the Jones Act costs the Puerto Rican economy hundreds of millions of dollars every year because, as an island, Puerto Rico imports approximately 85% of its food. In addition to food, Puerto Rico imports chemicals, oil, electrical appliances, machinery and equipment, transport vehicles, and plastics. The Jones Act requires that all goods shipped between two points within the United States be transported on a vessel at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, with a crew of at least 75% U.S. citizens, and built in the U.S.” The testimony refers the City Council to the PRTF’s prior report in support of permanently exempting Puerto Rico from the Jones Act, and notes that “exempting Puerto Rico from the Jones Act would be a way for Congress to help Puerto Rico’s economy at no additional cost to American citizens.” The City Bar supports the legislation and urges a permanent exemption from the Jones Act to allow the global markets to help Puerto Rico and remove impediments to its economic growth.
REPORT
WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF THE TASK FORCE ON PUERTO RICO
NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON CULTURAL AFFAIRS, LIBRARIES AND INTERNATIONAL INTERGROUP RELATIONS PUBLIC HEARING
OVERSIGHT – EQUITY, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND THE ROLE OF LIBRARIES
December 8, 2022
The New York City Bar Association (the City Bar) and its Task Force on Puerto Rico submit this written testimony in support of Res. No. 387-2022 (CM Ayala), a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress to repeal the Jones Act. The City Bar supports a permanent exemption from the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, just as the U.S. Virgin Islands has been exempted from that law’s requirements.
The appended report outlines the City Bar’s support for repealing the Jones Act, and thus its support for Res. No. 387-2022.[1] Independent studies have indicated that the Jones Act costs the Puerto Rican economy hundreds of millions of dollars every year because, as an island, Puerto Rico imports approximately 85% of its food. In addition to food, Puerto Rico imports chemicals, oil, electrical appliances, machinery and equipment, transport vehicles, and plastics. The Jones Act requires that all goods shipped between two points within the United States be transported on a vessel at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, with a crew of at least 75% U.S. citizens, and built in the U.S. Our report concludes that exempting Puerto Rico from the Jones Act “would be a way for Congress to help Puerto Rico’s economy at no additional cost to American citizens.”
The City Bar supports Res. No. 387-2022 and urges a permanent exemption from the Jones Act to allow the global markets to help Puerto Rico and remove impediments to its economic growth. We applaud the City Council and the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations for advancing this issue and hope our report can be helpful.
Wanda Sanchez Day, Co-Chair
Task Force on Puerto Rico
Wsd.prtf@gmail.com(646) 479-9517
Footnotes
[1] Available online at https://www.nycbar.org/reports/support-for-permanently-exempting-puerto-rico-from-the-jones-act/.
